Runaway School Bus Stopped After Driver Suffers Medical Situation
/ CBS Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- No one was injured after a school bus driver suffered an apparent medical situation, requiring a Yellow Medicine County Sheriff's Department squad car to maneuver the bus to a safe halt.
The incident happened Wednesday about two miles west of Granite Falls along Highway 212, after authorities were alerted that the bus had crashed into vehicles in Granite Falls.
The sheriff's department says that the bus was seen driving down the wrong side of the road at about 40 miles per hour.
Deputy Sheriff Eric Diekmann passed the bus from behind and turned on emergency lights to alert those driving in the opposite direction. From there, Diekmann was able to force the bus to a stop by nudging the squad up to the bus's front bumper, and applying the squad car's brakes.
DeBlieck video.
Press Release
Granite Falls, MN- This press release will serve as an update to the incident on 7/17/19 regarding the school bus accident and related stop of the school bus.
On 7/17/19 the YMC Sheriff's office received several 911 calls about a school bus that had crashed into vehicles in Granite Falls and was traveling on Highway 212 west on the wrong side of the road. Deputies were able to catch up to the bus about 2 miles west of Granite Falls. The vehicle was traveling in the wrong lane at about 40 miles per hour. Deputy Sheriff Eric Diekmann was able to pass the bus and provide emergency lighting in front of the bus. Chief Deputy Wayne DeBlieck followed the bus and provided information to the 911 dispatcher and other responding vehicles. The bus appeared to the deputies to not have any passengers in it and the driver appeared to the deputies to be suffering from some sort of medical situation.
The quick actions of Deputy Diekmann by providing lighting and siren to oncoming traffic no doubt saved motorists traveling towards the bus and the driver from possible injury or death. Deputy Diekmann was able to get close enough with the rear of his squad car to bump the bus and using his brakes slow it down. Once the vehicle was almost stopped, Greg Meyer (a Granite Falls Fireman) got out of his personal vehicle and opened the door to the bus and was able to stop the bus and put it in park. Greg Meyer had witnessed the accident in Granite Falls and was also in front of the bus with his flashers on attempting to warn on coming motorists. His selfless actions made this very dangerous situation come to an end with nobody getting injured.
The school bus is owned by Renville County West School and was operated by Brian Fuller (70) from Renville, MN. He was transported to the Granite Falls Hospital by the Granite Falls Ambulance. His condition is unknown.
Dash cam video of the incident is available on the Yellow Medicine County Sheriff's Facebook page.
Greg Meyer, a Granite Falls firefighter, got into the bus and put it in park; he had seen the initial crash in Granite Falls and drove in front of the bus as well with his lights on.
"His selfless actions made this very dangerous situation come to an end with nobody getting injured," the sheriff's department said.
The bus driver was identified as 70-year-old Brian Fuller. His condition at this time is not known.
There were no students aboard the bus at the time of the incident.
